Top 10 fastest-growing retail brands in the U.S., according to Yelp

The new restaurant in your neighborhood may look familiar. Chains owned by publicly traded restaurant companies accounted for half of the top 10 fastest-growing retail brands in the U.S. last year, according to a new Yelp report. Review site Yelp compiled the list by using a blended metric that includes net new openings, searches on … Read more

Other business may raise pay

An employee wearing protective gloves hands an order to a customer through a drive-thru window at a McDonald’s Corp. restaurant in Oakland, California, U.S., on Thursday, April 9, 2020.  David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images As fast-food chains in California start to pay their workers a higher minimum wage, other business owners across … Read more

Yum China CEO says consumers are growing more ‘rational’

A KFC restaurant in Wuhan, China. Source: Yum China While economists and investors fret over China’s low consumer confidence and sluggish growth, Yum China CEO Joey Wat says the Chinese consumer is growing more rational — and has been for years.   Weighed down by investors’ concern about the broader Chinese economy, shares of Yum … Read more

SOC labor coalition accuses Starbucks of ‘flawed’ union strategy

A coalition of unions is laying out its case against Starbucks ahead of a proxy fight at its annual meeting in March, arguing the coffee giant has implemented a “flawed human capital management strategy” in response to a yearslong union movement. The Strategic Organizing Center claims the situation has put the company at reputational risk, … Read more

Yum Brands (YUM) Q4 2023 earnings

KFC and Taco Bell restaurants along 118th Avenue in Edmonton, on January 21, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Artur Widak | Nurphoto | Getty Images Yum Brands on Wednesday reported quarterly earnings and revenue that missed analysts’ expectations as KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut all reported weaker-than-expected sales. Yum is the third global restaurant … Read more

McDonald’s and Starbucks blame Israel-Hamas war for slower sales

People dit at McDonald’s outdoor seating after going out on a Saturday night along Rothschild Street on June 11, 2022 in Tel Aviv, Israel.  Alexi Rosenfeld | Getty Images McDonald’s and Starbucks, two of the biggest U.S. restaurant companies, both said the Israel-Hamas war hurt their sales at the end of last year. Shares of … Read more

McDonald’s, Chipotle prepare for fast-food worker battles in 2024

Scott Olson | Getty Images News | Getty Images There will be no fooling California fast-food workers come April 1. That’s the day they can honestly believe the minimum wage in the Golden State will jump to $20 an hour from $16, and only in that sector. The pay raise exclusive for that workforce, estimated … Read more

Restaurants lean into loyalty programs to hold onto digital gains

    An employee carries an order for a customer at a Domino’s Pizza restaurant in Detroit. Sean Proctor | Bloomberg | Getty Images Forget the battle for chicken sandwich supremacy. The loyalty program wars are coming. Restaurant digital orders surged 124% in the year ended in March, according to market researcher NPD Group. And … Read more